A Lover's Requiem
by Jimmy the Gothic Egg
Summary: Nozomu Moegi, superstar extrodanaire, finds himself in love. The problem? She's vying for someone else's attention.
1. Screams

I've always really wanted to write a Nozomu/Mahiru/Mitsuru love triangle. I've finally got an idea that's sticking, so I'll be seeing where this is going.

I don't give Nozomu enough credit. I mean, he didn't even have a part in the last story. He's one of the main characters in this one.

A requiem, in case you didn't know, is a hymn for the dead.

_A Lover's Requiem_

**Chapter One: Screams**

There was not a person in Japan who did not know who Nozomu Moegi was. He was the number one pop star for the past year with no sign of a downfall. Girls swooned at his voice, and boys secretly wished they could be more like him.

Nozomu, for one, wanted to be someone else.

He was tired, overworked, and ready to pass out on his bed. It was unfortunate that his entire tour staff was bothering him at the moment.

"Moegi-san," a petite woman nearly cowered beneath her clipboard, "Asagi-sama is looking for you."

He rolled his eyes. "And where is the mighty Asagi-sama?"

For some odd reason the woman's face lit with a blush. "He, um, wanted to see you, um…"

"Never mind," he shook his head. "I'll find him."

It wouldn't be too hard. He was always in the same place anyway.

Nozomu opened the door to Misoka's office and turned on the light. He leaned over the desk and glanced beneath, where the short, bespectacled man sat.

"I hate you," Misoka Asagi murmured.

"Same here. What's up?"

"You get to go on another tour."

"I heard."

Misoka climbed out from beneath the desk, settling into his chair. "Why do I have to go?"

"Because otherwise I'd be forced to spend the entire time with Akira, and his perkiness is only endurable when you're in the same mood."

The vertically-challenged man smiled, adjusting his glasses. "I guess I'll have to go."

"So," Nozomu grinned in triumph, glad he'd gotten his way. "Where's stop number one?"

* * *

Mahiru picked up the phone and answered with a quiet, "Hello?" 

Someone screamed.

She jumped back, fumbling with the phone and caught it before it hit the floor. Holding it a good six inches from her ear, she stared at it, trying to catch what her friends were saying.

"_**OHMYGODDIDYOUHEARHE'SCOMINGHE'SGOINGTOBEINKYOTOINTWOWEEKS…"**_

A smile. "Junko?" she said into the phone, hearing her friend's voice calm, "Take a breath."

Her ears filled with static as the girl on the other end did just that. A moment later, she continued, without the yelling.

"He's _coming_, Mahiru!"

"Who?" She leaned against the counter.

"Uh, duh! Nozomu Moegi!"

Another smile. "He's coming where?"

"Nozomu Moegi is coming to Kyoto! That's only a few miles away!"

"In two weeks?"

"_Yes!_"

"Um, why should I care?"

"It's Nozomu frigging Moegi! Do you know how frigging _huge_ that is!"

There was something about the pop star that meant you _had_ to say his _full_ name.

"Junko, I hate to remind you, but we're both college students. Do you know what that means?"

"… No…"

"We're broke."

"Oh, yeah."

Mahiru shifted the phone in her hand, glancing at the clock. "Listen, I've got somewhere to be. You can call me with updates later."

She hung up and jumped up, grabbing her purse.

She had a date.

* * *

It wasn't actually a date, since he hated her, and he was working. But now she was working there too, and she got all the opportunities she could wish for to annoy him. 

"Hey, Mitsuru!" she smiled as she popped up before him, causing him to jump back. He scowled and pushed her aside.

"Keiko's manning the kitchen," he said off-handedly as he gathered together glasses.

"With little luck!" came the woman's call.

They shared a glance, and she shrugged, stepping into the kitchen.

It was a mess. Food was set about openly, as if looking for a chance to run away. Pots were overturned and pans were resting awkwardly in the sink. Keiko was scrubbing furiously at the counter where she'd spilt something, and one of the pots was boiling over.

"Remember when we had Akira," she sighed unhappily.

Mahiru shook her head and got to work.

Akira Yamabuki had used to work at the Moonshine bar, but had left unexpectedly on some "amazing trip that he couldn't pass up." Mahiru was beginning to think Keiko really did miss him more than she should, especially since she was the arm candy of Hokuto Koudokiu. But Mahiru had only been working the bar for a month, while Keiko and Mitsuru had known him for an entire year. Yet, Mitsuru didn't seem too broken up about it.

She sighed and began the meal.

* * *

It wasn't until two that Mahiru was finally free, but she hadn't left yet. They'd cleared the bar, and she had her head rested across a table, arms folded neatly for a cushion. 

Mitsuru jabbed her.

"What?" she groaned.

"If you're gonna go to sleep, do it where it's not in my way."

They matched glares before she recoiled and rested her head on the table again.

"No."

She'd never really bothered to talk back to him before, mostly because she was too busy with other things, or she just didn't have time for his insults. And he seemed slightly taken aback that she actually decided to speak up to him. His resolve strengthened though, because he rapped the table with the broom he was holding.

"Go home," he said, a harsh edge to his words, but it was more advice, like something I friend would say. "You're tired."

Drowsiness hit her full on and she shook her head. "I don't think I can drive."

He frowned. She was probably right. She was ready to fall asleep right there, and putting her behind the wheel was probably not a smart idea.

"You can stay here tonight," he decided for her, tapping her with the broom.

She paused, looking up at him. "What?" Had she misheard in her sleepiness?

"There are rooms upstairs," he explained, "Katsura won't mind if you take one of them."

She stared at him suspiciously. "…Why…?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you being so nice to me…?"

He turned quickly, as if remembering himself, and scowled. "Whatever. I just don't want you behind the wheel."

"What about you, Mitsuru? Where do you sleep?" She smiled at him, because she knew he was unintentionally being nice.

"I live here," he muttered, getting back to work on the clean up.

"Oh goody!" she clapped her hands together, moving to help him. "It'll be like a sleepover."

She laughed as his face blanched and felt the heavy drowsiness lighten a bit.

* * *

About eight o' clock the next morning, Mahiru opened the door to her own apartment, yawning. Breakfast with Mitsuru was the oddest thing, especially when the man scowled at his own cereal. 

There were some things she would never understand about him.

The phone rang, but she was too lazy to get it. She let the answering machine get it as she peeled off yesterday's clothes and got ready for a shower.

And that's when she heard Junko's scream.

**Authoress Notes:**

Good beginning? Yes? No?

My return to the Crescent Moon universe is a swift one. AUs are fun. I really like them.

So there you are, chapter one. Let's see where I can go with this.

I'm also working on the next chapter of _Remedy_. Let's see if I can't update that.

**Leave something for the feedback whore!**


	2. Bad Days

I didn't think the last chapter was that big of a cliffhanger. Dang. I do that. A lot. Prepare to hate me.

**((My profile has a very special note.** And an excuse to be lazy for the next few days--maybe weeks. Whatever. Go and read it, if you care for me at all. If you hate me, it migt cheer you up... Or maybe I'll just pass out on my keyboard right now.

_A Lover's Requiem_

**Chapter Two: Bad Days**

Junko's hand clasped around Mahiru's as she dragged the tired girl along.

"What am I doing here?" Mahiru asked. She rubbed her eyes wearily, breaking her grip from Junko's.

"You're my good luck charm," Junko lilted, prancing through the huge crowd.

Junko had explained it all over the phone. To tickets for Nozomu Moegi's concert in Kyoto, one just had to find their way down to some odd location where a radio station was set up and win a raffle. Which was why she had dragged Mahiru down with her. Because Mahiru was, in short, a good luck charm.

It had started back in high school, when people first began to realize with her touch, good things came. It was soon after that when Mahiru figured out as others pulled luck off her, bad luck took its place.

So she was always apprehensive when Junko decided to use her as a rabbit's foot or something of that kind. But she went along with it mostly because the thought of seeing Nozomu Moegi in concert was something that seemed surreal, and it might make a good excuse to invite a certain someone…

Junko's sharp stop pulled her into the real world, and she looked up.

"Let's try and win the grand prize."

---

"You're going to Kyoto!"

Nozomu pushed Akira off him, glancing at the hyperactive puppy with a smile on his face.

"Now where did you hear that?"

He grinned. "I was eavesdropping. Plus it's all over the news."

"I figured. I assume you're coming."

"You'd die without my cooking. But I do have a request…"

Nozomu looked at him from beneath his glasses, grinning. "And what may this request be?"

"I wanted to visit some friends. We're staying for a few days anyway before we leave. They're only a short while away."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Are these friends cute?"

Akira laughed. "Maybe. It depends on whether you wanna come with me or not."

"So this is like 'meeting the parents?'" He laughed as his companion's face went red.

"No! I just…" His eyes became distant. "I don't ever really talk to my friends. And I miss 'em."

Nozomu quirked and eyebrow, but smiled. "Not like I can stop you."

"Good! When are we leaving again?"

---

Mahiru glanced at her cell phone, letting Junko take her hand. The number flashing across was familiar…

"Oh."

That was weird. Akira had not called any of them since he'd left not so long ago. She hadn't figured he would, after a while, but here he was, his number displayed on her cell. Hesitantly, she answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Mahiru?"_

"Yeah." She passed a glare to Junko, who had begun rubbing her hands together. "Akira?"

"_Ha! I'm remembered! I was worried you'd think I was some random stranger calling."_

She laughed. "How could I forget you? Keiko mentions you every other day."

There was a tentative pause on the other end. _"…Does she now? She's not answering her phone. Anyway, I'm calling because I'm gonna be in town soon!"_

Her face lit up. "Really? That's great! When are you going to be here?"

"_I think we're still figuring out the schedule…"_ He paused, and there was muffled shouting. _"In two days, so says Misoka."_

"Misoka?"

"_You'll meet him. I bring friends!"_

"This is perfect! I was worried you'd forgotten about us. Where are you staying? How are you getting here? When are you going to come meet us? I—Hey! Junko!" She pulled away from her friend. "Hold on a second," she said into the phone then turned to the girl beside her. "What are you doing?"

"Oh my god, Mahiru!" Junko jumped up and down, grabbing her friend. "I can't believe it! We just won!"

"What?" Mahiru tried to stop moving around and work the phone up so she could talk into it. "Junko! Can we—"

"Yes! You know this means I owe you my life! This is—I can't even think of a word for it! Yes!"

It was, of course, at that moment that Mahiru's bad luck kicked in. From beneath the jumping and screaming, her phone slipped from her hand, landing with a clatter on the ground. Junko abruptly stopped, allowing her to frantically try and pick it up.

Mahiru sighed as she stared at it. The display had broken. Great. And Akira had hung up, or maybe that happened when it hit the ground.

The day could only get worse.

---

"…Oh."

Keiko sat down and twiddled with her phone.

"I thought it was on. I must've forgotten after the movie."

"Did he leave any messages?" Mahiru asked, noticing the depressed look on her face.

"No. Probably afraid he got the wrong number." She shrugged. "I guess I'll wait for him to call back."

"Yeah, Junko broke my phone." Mahiru pulled it out. "It's probably going to be expensive… On the plus side we got Nozomu Moegi concert tickets."

Keiko chuckled. "I never cared for pop. They had four of them, right? Who're you going to give the extra ones to?"

"I don't know. Junko's going to ask the guy she likes… I've got nobody."

"Well…" She smiled knowingly. "You could ask the guy _you_ like."

Mahiru flushed. "I don't really…"

"Sure you don't."

"But I—Fine. What movie did you go to?"

Keiko's smile did not go away, but she let the subject change. "Something I couldn't stay awake through. I went with Hokuto."

"Lovey-dovey yet?"

"If anything he's getting more infuriating. But there's nothing I can do about that."

"Oh. I thought—"

Mitsuru brusquely walked up to them, set down the empty glasses, and walked away, without a word. Both girls frowned at the workload he'd placed in front of them.

"He's…"

"…Grumpy."

"I was gonna say rude, but your word works too." Keiko stood. "I guess we should get to work."

Mahiru's day wasn't looking up.

---

"You're not going to tell me what's eating you?"

"No."

"'Cause I can tell when you're in a bad mood. It's usually all the time."

"Go away."

"Well, if you aren't going to tell me… My friend won these today."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I don't know. If you want one…"

"No."

"Oh. Okay. I'm gonna go home then. Bye, Mitsuru."

She hurried out, waving one final time. He grunted, stashing the final things he needed to clean.

That damn girl was starting to grow on him.

**Notes:**

I wanted to end on a slightly fluffy note, and keep it going a little bit longer. Yay me!

Whoo! We're setting our characters up for something _fun_.

Right… "Fun." That's the word they'd use to describe it.

**Review, or something.**


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